Using Acrylic Smoke to darken SMS CF decals

Another question from me today. I’ve started to CF decal my ducati airboxes and rear wheel guard. It’s going well, and I’m using 1020 1/20 CF for these parts, other parts I’ll be using 1420 1/20 CF. Anyhow, I have always noticed that my CF looks a little gunmetal and not very true to real CF. I’ve heard of smoke being used to tone the gunmetal down. I’ve never done this before, take it, the process is to lightly spray Acrylic Smoke over the CF. How many coats? I don’t want to over cook this.

Thanks..

Just try: depend from your tastes (how dark?) It keep me 4 light hands normally but I noticed that I need a lot of layers (6+) also on trasparent plastic, may be my "hand". So not risk to "overcook" :) your CF, smoke is quetly transparent, but I'm spoking of bottle acrylics smoke.

And you know: smoke is bastard, if you try to do an hard wetcoat he do some particles, dots and irregular surface, I do't know how explain better but believe, it's crap! Just in thin coats to achieve a perfct job and.... a little tip from my friend Ricky: smoke isn't matt so last hand spray a matt clear, when cured polish a bit edges, superb result, warranted:

http://www.modellismo.net/forum/Public/HTML/B95/18581-7.topic.html

just look at "before and after" scrolling down, the pict you see is before :)

Never tried it with Tamiya acrylic. But their enamel Smoke works perfectly as you describe. I'd agree with Giovanni and build layers up in thin coats so the coverage is even. If you want a matt finish, another option is to add some flat base to the smoke although a matt clear final coat works just as well.

I keep a small bottle of Tamiya acrylic smoke, semi-gloss black and flat base mixed up and spray lightly until I have the desired shade.

hth,
Bill

I keep a small bottle of Tamiya acrylic smoke, semi-gloss black and flat base mixed up and spray lightly until I have the desired shade.

hth,
Bill
Bill, can you give a "guestimate" on the proportions of that mix?

Hmm...70%smoke, 20%SGB and 10% flat base.

I then make sure that once I pour and thin the amount I'm going to use, coat and then decal (if necessary) and cover everything with a mixture of Model Master semi and flat gloss acrylic. Usually 75% SG to 25% flat, depending on if the piece is a finished piece or a structural one (finished pieces are usually shinier than structural whcih are almost flat).

hth,
Bill